Valve.



R. D. JOHNSON.

VALVE. APPLICATION FILED 0OT.8, 1909.

Patented July 2, 1912.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

R. D. JOHNSON.

v VALVE. APPLICATION FILED 00128, 1909.

Patented July 2, 1912.

2 SHEETS-SHEET'Z;

, tively RAYMOND D. JOHNSON, 0F NIAGARA FALLS, NEW YORK.

, VALVE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 2, 1912.

Application filed October 8, 1909. Serial No, 521,729.

object of the invention being the provision of a valve which whenprovided with suitable control pipes may be operated posiunder any heador fluid pressure. \Vhen suitably connected, the operation of the valveis independent of the direction of flow of the water or other fluid; andit is also independentof the posit-ion of the valve, which may beinverted or disposed horizontally or at any desired angle Withoutinterfering in the least with its direct and posithe control.

Under all these conditions the valve serves not only to interrupt thefluid flow but to control or regulate the flow to any desired extent:this latter capacity adapts the valve for use in conjunction with anysuitable automatic regulating device, although it is equally susceptibleof manual control, and is particularly adaptedfo-r distant control,whether manual or automatic. The construction is also particularlyadapted for large installations, the operation depending upondifierences of pressure, and being independent of the absolute pressureor head; this renders it practicable to construct valves several feet indiameter, and to operate and control them with the utmost ease. Toinsure the positive opening and closing of the valve, and a positivecontrol in all intermediate positions, it is essential, in addition tothe provision of the several structural elements, that the valve orbobbin and theadjacent surfaces of the conduitor valve-chamber should beproperly designed; and when properly designed the operation of the valveinvolves no loss of head other than the slight loss due to un avoidablefriction.

Certain embodiments of the invention are illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of one form of hydraulicvalve; Fig. 2 is a transverse section on the line lI-IIjof Fig.

1; and Figs. 3 and 4 are sectional details of a slightly modifiedconstruction.

Referring to the drawings, 1, 2 represents a fluid conduit, which forillustration will be assumed to serve for conveying water underpressure.

3 is an enlargement of the conduit consti tuting a valve chamber, thelines being such as to avoid such sharp deflections of the stream asmight result in loss ofhead due to eddy currents or churning movementsof the water. 1

At or near one end of the valve chamber, indicated by the numeral-4, theconduit is contracted in cross-sectional area, and ,adjacent thiscontracted portion is formed an annular valve, seat 5. From thecontracted portion 4 the conduit increases gradually to its normal areaat the point- 2, through a flaring section 31 of suitable length,serving 'to restore the normal head with the least suitable number ofradial ribs 9 (Fig, 2).

A movable section 10, generally similar im form to the section 6 andpreferably hollow is fitted closely within the fixed section,telescoping therewith as shown at 11, and constituting the plunger bowlof the valve. In the fully open position of the valve, as illustrated infull lines in Fig. 1, the shoulder 12 on the movable section engages themarginal portion of the fixed section: The telescoping section 13 is ofsufiicient width to permit movement of the valve to the closed positionindicated by the dotted lines 14 without disengagement of the sections.The movable section 10 has an annular seat 15 registering with the seat5 on the valve chamber.

A pipe connection 16 extends'from the 1nterior of the fixed section 6 toa point 17 outside the valve, chamber, whence valved connections extendto points in the wall of the conduit on each side of the valve chamber:thus pipe 18, having a cock 19, commun1- cates with the conduit at apoint 20 where the'cross-sectional area of the conduit is notrestricted: and a pipe 21, 22, having acook tracted portion of theconduit. These pipesv may merely open into the conduit, or one or bothof them may be turned outwardly (away from the valve) forming pitometertubes 25, 26 for a purpose hereinafter stated. The pipes extending fromthe fixed valve section to either side of the valve chamber arehereinafter referred to as the control pipes. The construction whereinthe pipes 20 and 22 merely open into the conduit is illustrated in Figs.3 and 4.

As above stated, this construction is operative in any position, undersuitable head or pressure, and if the pitometer tubes ,or equivalentdevices be present the operation is independent of the direction of flowof fluid through the conduit. The operation of the valve dependsprimarily upon the familiar hydraulic principle that velocity andpressure are mutually convertible in the sense that a region ofrelatively constricted cross-sectional area in a conduit conveying afluid stream under pressure determines an increased velocity and acorrespondingly diminished pressure at that region. Thus, in thespecific construction illustrated there is,

'when the valve is open, a region adjacent the point of entry of thecontrol pipe 22 where the pressure is lower than at that region ofgreater cross-sectional area at which the control pipe 18 enters theconduit. Therefore, assuming the stream to be flowing from 1 to 2, thecook 19 to be closed and the cock 23 open, the pressure within thehollow valve will correspond to the lower pressure at the' contracted,portion of the conduit, and the valve will be held in its openposition, as illustrated, by the pressure and reaction-of the fluidagainst the exterior face of the movable section or plunger bowl. It nowthe cock 23 be closed and the cook 19 opened, therebytransmitting to theinterior of the valve the greater pressure at the uncontracted region 1of the con dult, the valve will at once close by the outward movement ofthe plunger bowl 10. It .should be observed that the valve seat 15 islocated on the plunger bowl 10, on a' diameter smaller than the plungerdiameter: this is essential from a hydraulic viewpoint in order thatthestart to open the valve maybe effected by thepressure on the submergedplunger area above the seat: this 10- cation of the seat is alsoessential mechanically, as if it were placed higher on the plunger bowlthe wedge action might result in splitting the outer casing or chamber.It :is also to be observed that the conformation 4 of the parts issuchthat the variationspf pressure for'operating the valve are securedwithout loss of head other than such as may be inevitable in any closedsystem; and that the operation of the valve is in no way depengent upon.such unavoidable losses of hea i The reaction of the fluid stream atthe region 4 against the plunger bowl tends to hold the valve open andassists in opening it after the start to open: while this reactionresists closure, it occurs against a small area of the plunger andtherefore does not total enough to prevent positive closure. I

justment of the curves of the plunger'bovvl and the adiacent walls tothe conditions in view.

The work done in moving the plunger when lying within a closed systemresembles in principle the operation of a water turbinc, which isactuated by the conversion into mechanical movement of difi'erences inwaterpressures, rather than by impact of the stream upon movable bucketsas in the Pelton type of wheel: fundamentally, this principle isindependent .of the direction of flow of the fluid, being dependent uponthe centrifugal forces exerted on the concave areas of the plunger.

Assuming the valve to be so connected that the stream flows from 2 to 1,means must be provided for increasing the fluid pressure within theplunger bowl above that attainable by a direct connection to thecontracted region tor the conduit. ThlS may be accomplished in variousways, as for example by the provision of the pitometer tube 26, turnedoutward, and serving to transmit to the interior of the valve thevelocity head of flow as an added static pressure: with this provisionthe valve works equally well whether the flow is from 1 to 2 or from 2to 1. In the former case closure'is effected as already described byopening cook 19 and closing cook 23, and opening is effected by thereverse operation. If the directlon of flow is from 2 to 1 closure isefiected by opening cock 23 and closing cock 19, and opening by thereverse procedure. In either case the plungermay be made to assume anyintermediate position, andmainta-ined therein so long as conditionsremain constant, by proper adjustment of the cocks 19 and 23. Thisadjustment may be made even simpler by combining these cocks as a slnglethreeway cock located at the point 17, as will be noeaseo sure withinthe valve when the direction of flow is from 2 to 1, is the provision ofa con,

' trol pipe 28, with a cock 29, this pipe entering the main conduit at apoint 27 beyond the contracted region 4 and shown as at the larger endof the taper section 31 leading thereto I may also provide here apitometer tube turned away from-the plunger, but

tion of pressure at 4 which would immedi' ately permit opening cock 23.In case the point 4 is thus utilized as a region of low pressure thepitometer tube 26 is not used.

The function of the pitometer tube 25, connected to the control pipe 18,is to increase the pressure within the valve by transmittingto theinterior an added static pressure, whenthe direction of flow is from 1to 2, thereby rendering the closure more positive. Its presence is notessential if the reverse curves of the plunger bowl and the adjacentwalls'are properly designed for the service in view, although itincreases the positiveness of the action under the above conditions.

When the valve is vertically placed, with heavy plunger and lowoperating head, it sometimes becomes necessary to open the control pipedirectly to air instead of to a point of low ressure and high velocitywith in the conduit, and this ma also be done under any conditions when1t is desired to increase the positiveness of opening, and the conduitis flowing full at its contracted portion. It will be understood thatthe portion of the conduit illustrated may be a part of a closedpressure system as for turbine operation or water Works systems, or itmay be open directly to air, forming a nozzle either at the point 2 orat the contracted part 4. The operation of the valve is positive in bothdirections under all of these conditions. In a closed system thepressure at. 4 may under some conditions be below atmospheric without inany way afi'ect-ing the operatioru p The operation of the valve in avertical position with the part 1 uppermost and the water flowing from 1to 2 presents an interesting feature. In this case the valve is openedwithout performing the work of lifting the weight of water within thebowl,

because upon; opening cock ,23 the pressure transmitted to the interiorof the valve is reduced by the height of the water column from 17 to 23.This is highly advantageous in large valves, wherethe weight of water inthe plunger bowl may amount to many tons.

' While the form and construction of the valve may be' widely variedwithout departure from correct principles of design and to adapt thevalve for special purposes, it is nevertheless essential that technicalskill be used in the design of the curves and the proportioning of theparts. The essentials of construction to secure eflicient op erationunder all conditions are (1.) The valve or bobbin comprising a fixedpart and a co-acting movable plunger, both constructed with properlydesigned re verse curves.

(2.) The contraction of the pipe at the valve seat and under the movableplunger.

Control pipe connections to the in terior of the valve, when the valveis intended to be positively operated, from points of higher and lowerpressure. These are usually two points on the main conduit, and usuallybut not necessarily lie on opposite sides of the valves. Opening to airis equivalenttto opening to apoint of low pressure.

(4.) The taper section extending from the valve chamber when operatingin a closed pressure system.

I claim:

1. In combination, afluid conduit having a contracted portionconstituting a region of relatively low fluid-pressure, a valve seatadjacent said contracted portion, a hollow sectional valve .adapted toseat thereon, the Inovable section of said valve formed with reversecurves, pipe connections from the interior of said valve to regions ofhigher and lower fluid-pressure, and controlling means for said pipes.

2. In combination, a fluid conduit having a contracted portionconstituting a region of relatively low fluid-pressure, a valve seatadjacent said contracted portion, a hollow sectional valve adapted toseat thereon, the movable section of said valve formed with reversecurves, pipe connections from the' interior of said valve to regions ofhigher and lower fluid-pressure both located within said conduit, andcontrolling means for said pipes.

8. In combination, a fluid conduit having a contracted portionconstituting a region of relatively low fluid-pressure, a flaringsection leading therefrom; a valve seat adjacent said contractedportion, a hollow sectional valve adapted to seat thereon, the movablesection of said valve formed with reverse curves, pipe connections fromthe interior of said valve to regions of higher and lowerfluid-pressure, and controlling means for said pipes.

4. In combination, a fluid conduit having a contracted portionconstituting a reglon 13o of relatively low fluid pressure, a valve seatIn testimony whereof, I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

RAYMOND i). JOHNSON. Witnesses GEO. R. SHEPARD, W. W. LAMB. 3

